Active till the end, Malcolm Fraser dies at 83

Politically active his whole life, Fraser quit the Lieberals in the end in disgust. He seemed to have more in common with Labor than the Lieberals. He became very critical of that revolting Howard gov, and even more so with Abbott.

But the former PM always kept an eye on the political arena and he became a staunch critic of the Liberals under the next Coalition PM, John Howard, speaking out particularly on indigenous issues, refugees and antiterrorism laws. 

Just last month Mr Fraser launched a scathing attack on Tony Abbott over the Government's treatment of the Human Rights Commission and, in particular, its president Gillian Triggs following The Forgotten Children report. 

"If the Government had wanted to handle the matter sensibly, they would have said they recognise there have been abuses," Mr Fraser said at the time. 

Mr Fraser seemed to have more in common with his former political rivals than with his own party, joining Labor PMs past and present for the apology to the Stolen Generation. 

Eventually he quit the Liberals citing his belief that the party he had been a member of for more than six decades had tilted too far to the right.more

Australia has lost a very good man. A man not afraid to heed his conscience.